The Road West
Encyclopedia
The Road West is an American Western
television series that aired on NBC
from September 12, 1966 to May 1, 1967 for twenty-nine episodes with rebroadcasts continuing until August 28. The hour-long series, sponsored by Kraft Foods
, aired in the 9 p.m. Eastern Monday time slot opposite The Andy Griffith Show
and Family Affair
on CBS
and the crime drama Felony Squad
and the prime time
soap opera
Peyton Place
on ABC
. Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall originally alternated with the series as monthly specials.
as Benjamin "Ben" Pride, the patriarch
of a pioneer family in Kansas
. The series also stars Kathryn Hays
as Elizabeth Pride, Ben's second wife; Andrew Prine
as Ben's 30-year-old son, Timothy "Tim" Pride, and Brenda Scott as the daughter, Midge Pride. Prine and Scott, who played brother and sister in the series, had been briefly married in real life prior to the debut of the program. Other cast members were Kelly Corcoran
as son Kip Pride; Glenn Corbett
as Chance Reynolds, Elizabeth's brother; and Charles Seel as Tom Pride, Ben's father and the grandfather of the family.
The Prides left Springfield, Ohio
where the family had lived for several generations and moved west shortly after the American Civil War
. Ben, a widow
er, marries Elizabeth Reynolds, played by Hays, who is twenty-one years his junior and only three years older than stepson Tim, played by Prine.
appeared as Jud Barker; Roy Roberts
as Dr. Reynolds; John Drew Barrymore
as Stacey Daggart, and Rex Holman as India. James Gammon
and Barbara Anderson
each appeared in in two episodes, as Deputy Virgil Bramley and Barbara. Other notable guest stars include Michael Ansara
, Wendell Corey
, Michael Constantine
, Katharine Ross
, Jack Dodson
, Strother Martin
, Keenan Wynn
, Gena Rowlands
, Kurt Russell
, Tisha Sterling
, Jay C. Flippen
, Tom Tryon
, Cloris Leachman
, Gavin McLeod, and John M. Pickard
and Rex Trailer
as Burr.
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
television series that aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from September 12, 1966 to May 1, 1967 for twenty-nine episodes with rebroadcasts continuing until August 28. The hour-long series, sponsored by Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
, aired in the 9 p.m. Eastern Monday time slot opposite The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
and Family Affair
Family Affair
Family Affair is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do civil engineer and bachelor Bill Davis as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. Davis' traditional...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and the crime drama Felony Squad
Felony Squad
Felony Squad is a half-hour television crime drama originally broadcast on the ABC network from September 12, 1966 to January 31, 1969, a span encompassing seventy-three episodes.-Overview:...
and the prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Peyton Place
Peyton Place (TV series)
Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall originally alternated with the series as monthly specials.
Cast and premise
The Road West stars Barry SullivanBarry Sullivan (actor)
Barry Sullivan was an American movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s.Born in New York City, Sullivan fell into acting when in college playing semi-pro football...
as Benjamin "Ben" Pride, the patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
of a pioneer family in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. The series also stars Kathryn Hays
Kathryn Hays
Kathryn Hays is an American actress. She was born in Princeton, Illinois and grew up in Joliet, Illinois.In the 1966-1967 television season, Hays appeared as Elizabeth Reynolds Pride in the NBC western series The Road West, with co-stars Barry Sullivan, Andrew Prine, Kelly Corcoran, and Glenn...
as Elizabeth Pride, Ben's second wife; Andrew Prine
Andrew Prine
Andrew Lewis Prine is an American film, stage, and television actor.-Early life and career:Prine was born in Jennings, Florida. After graduation from Andrew Jackson High School in Miami, Prine made his acting debut three years later in an episode of CBS U.S. Steel Hour...
as Ben's 30-year-old son, Timothy "Tim" Pride, and Brenda Scott as the daughter, Midge Pride. Prine and Scott, who played brother and sister in the series, had been briefly married in real life prior to the debut of the program. Other cast members were Kelly Corcoran
Kelly Corcoran
Kelly Corcoran was an American child actor, a brother of Donna Corcoran, Hugh Corcoran, Noreen Corcoran, Brian Corcoran, and Kevin Corcoran. He was the youngest child born to William "Bill" Corcoran, Sr. , and the former Kathleen McKenney...
as son Kip Pride; Glenn Corbett
Glenn Corbett
Glenn Corbett was an American actor best known for his role on CBS's adventure drama Route 66.-Acting career:...
as Chance Reynolds, Elizabeth's brother; and Charles Seel as Tom Pride, Ben's father and the grandfather of the family.
The Prides left Springfield, Ohio
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
where the family had lived for several generations and moved west shortly after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Ben, a widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
er, marries Elizabeth Reynolds, played by Hays, who is twenty-one years his junior and only three years older than stepson Tim, played by Prine.
Notable guest stars
The Road West featured some well-known guest stars. In the two-part premiere episode entitled "This Savage Land", George C. ScottGeorge C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
appeared as Jud Barker; Roy Roberts
Roy Roberts
Roy Roberts was an American character actor. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen.-Biography:...
as Dr. Reynolds; John Drew Barrymore
John Drew Barrymore
John Drew Barrymore was a member of the Barrymore family of actors, which included his father, John Barrymore, and his father's siblings, Lionel and Ethel...
as Stacey Daggart, and Rex Holman as India. James Gammon
James Gammon
James Richard Gammon was an American actor, known for playing grizzled "good ol' boy" types in numerous films and television series.-Early life:...
and Barbara Anderson
Barbara Anderson (actress)
-External links:...
each appeared in in two episodes, as Deputy Virgil Bramley and Barbara. Other notable guest stars include Michael Ansara
Michael Ansara
Michael Ansara is a Syrian-born American stage, screen, and voice actor best known for his portrayal of Cochise in the American television series Broken Arrow, Kane in the 1979-81 series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and Commander Kang on three different Star Trek TV series.- Early life and...
, Wendell Corey
Wendell Corey
Wendell Reid Corey was an American actor and politician.He was born in Dracut, Massachusetts, the son of Milton Rothwell Corey and Julia Etta McKenney . His father was a Congregationalist clergyman...
, Michael Constantine
Michael Constantine
Michael Constantine is a Greek American actor.He is probably now best known for his portrayal of Gus Portokalos, the Windex bottle-toting Greek father of Toula Portokalos , in the 2002 surprise hit film My Big Fat Greek Wedding.Prior to that, he was well-known for his extensive TV work, especially...
, Katharine Ross
Katharine Ross
Katharine Juliet Ross is an American film and stage actress. Trained at the San Francisco Workshop, she is perhaps best known for her role as Elaine Robinson in the 1967 film The Graduate, opposite Dustin Hoffman, which won her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and her role...
, Jack Dodson
Jack Dodson
Jack Dodson Born John S. Dodson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was an American television actor best remembered for the milquetoast character Howard Sprague in The Andy Griffith Show and its spin-off Mayberry R.F.D. From 1959 until his death in 1994, Dodson was married to television art director...
, Strother Martin
Strother Martin
Strother Martin was an American actor in numerous films and television programs. Martin is perhaps best known as the prison "captain" in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke, where he uttered the line, "What we've got here is...failure to communicate."-Early life:Strother Martin Jr. was born in Kokomo,...
, Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn was an American character actor. His bristling mustache and expressive face were his stock in trade, and though he rarely had a lead role, he got prominent billing in most of his film and TV parts....
, Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands is an American actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, she gave Academy...
, Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
, Tisha Sterling
Tisha Sterling
Tisha Sterling is an American television and film actress. She is the daughter of actor Robert Sterling and actress/singer Ann Sothern.-Life and career:...
, Jay C. Flippen
Jay C. Flippen
Jay C. Flippen is an American character actor who often played police officers or weary criminals in many films of the 1940s/'50s....
, Tom Tryon
Tom Tryon
Tom Tryon was an American film and television actor, best known for playing the title role in the film The Cardinal and the Walt Disney television character Texas John Slaughter...
, Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards—more than any other performer—and one Daytime Emmy Award...
, Gavin McLeod, and John M. Pickard
John Pickard (American actor)
John M. Pickard was an American actor who appeared primarily in television Westerns.-Early life and career:...
and Rex Trailer
Rex Trailer
Rex Trailer is a Boston, Massachusetts based television personality, broadcast pioneer, and Country and Western recording artist. He is best known as the host of the children's show Boomtown.-Early life:...
as Burr.
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "This Savage Land (Part 1)" | September 12, 1966 |
| 1-2 | "This Savage Land (Part 2)" | September 19, 1966 |
| 1-3 | "The Gunfighter" | September 26, 1966 |
| 1-4 | "The Lean Years" | October 3, 1966 |
| 1-5 | "This Dry and Thirsty Land" | October 10, 1966 |
| 1-6 | "Long Journey to Leavenworth" | October 17, 1966 |
| 1-7 | "Ashes and Tallow and One True Love" | October 24, 1966 |
| 1-8 | "Piece of Tin" | October 31, 1966 |
| 1-9 | "Lone Woman" | November 7, 1966 |
| 1-10 | "Shaman" | November 14, 1966 |
| 1-11 | "To Light a Candle" | November 21, 1966 |
| 1-12 | "Pariah" | December 5, 1966 |
| 1-13 | "Have You Seen the Aurora Borealis?" | December 12, 1966 |
| 1-14 | "Power of Fear" | December 26, 1966 |
| 1-15 | "Reap the Whirlwind" | January 9, 1967 |
| 1-16 | "Beyond the Hill" | January 16, 1967 |
| 1-17 | "The Predators" | January 23, 1967 |
| 1-18 | "A Mighty Hunter Before the Lord" | January 30, 1967 |
| 1-19 | "No Sanctuary" | February 6, 1967 |
| 1-20 | "The Insider" | February 13, 1967 |
| 1-21 | "Road to Glory" | February 20, 1967 |
| 1-22 | "Fair Ladies of France" | February 27, 1967 |
| 1-23 | "Never Chase a Rainbow" | March 6, 1967 |
| 1-24 | "Eleven Miles to Eden" | March 13, 1967 |
| 1-25 | "Charade of Justice" | March 27, 1967 |
| 1-26 | "The Eighty-Seven Dollar Bride" | April 3, 1967 |
| 1-27 | "A War for the Gravediggers" | April 10, 1967 |
| 1-28 | "The Agreement" | April 24, 1967 |
| 1-29 | "Elizabeth's Odyssey" | May 1, 1967 |